Chennai Corporation workers being assigned for personal works of officers is a routine, allege staff

CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) workers being appointed for domestic works at the residences of officials, zonal officers, councillors is not a new event.

The members of Chennai Corporation Red Flag Union say that many contract employees are given the tasks of doing household chores, personal drivers and kept for cleaning purposes after being given OD from their duty hours.

T Srinivasan, general secretary of Chennai Corporation Red Flag Union says that it is a regular practice in the Greater Chennai Corporation to deploy the staff members for personal works of the former or current officials in their residences during their duty hours.

"It is not just contract workers but even permanent ones are doing the works of grocery shopping, bringing food from homes to the office, cleaning, personal driver and taking care of the other household chores in the houses of secretaries, pc of commissioners, zonal officials, or even councillors. Sometimes, they are even sent to help the relatives of these officials," said Srinivasan.

The corporation workers can be seen on this unofficial duty near the residences of IAS officers and other senior officials almost on a daily basis.

The workers say that if someone objects to it, they are transferred if it is a permanent worker or removed from duty mostly, in case of temporary worker.

The workers are not given any additional money or allowance for the personal works that they are engaged in by the officials.

"We are given OD at work but there is no extra payment. If one denies to work or objects to bring treated in a certain way, we are immediately removed from the post. The Corporation pays the salary but the work is for the officials, " said another member of the union.

Meanwhile, City Health Officer M Jagadeesan said that they are looking into the issue raised and more can be said only after the information is verified by GCC.